Health Canada has
quietly decided to ban insect repellents with more than 30% of the active
ingredient DEET, citing health risks and evidence that pumping up the
amount of active ingredient does little more to repel bugs, according
to an article in the Canadian National Post. Products mixing sunscreen
and insect repellent will also be barred because of the potential to absorb
too much DEET while lathering on the lotion.

Retailers can continue
selling some of the over-30% products until December 2004, in order for
manufacturers to deplete their existing stocks.

U.S. scientist Mohammed
Abou-Donia, who found symptoms of neurological damage in soldiers who
used small doses of DEET daily for two months, applauded the decision.
"There are hundreds of papers in the literature saying there are
problems with this chemical I totally agree with having the lower
concentration of the chemical," said Dr. Abou-Donia, a pharmacology
professor at Duke University.

He also stated that
problems arise when people - usually soldiers or those working outdoors
in mosquito-infested areas - slap it on daily for long periods. His studies
additionally found problems when DEET is mixed with other chemicals.

Studies on U.S. soldiers
and park wardens using DEET regularly found evidence of such skin reactions
as large, painful blisters, rashes and a numb sensation on the lips. Employees
at a park in Florida using DEET heavily were more likely to have insomnia,
mood disturbances, and impaired cognitive functions. Researchers have
also recorded several instances of brain problems in children, with the
most severe cases involving seizures, coma and death.

The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency recently decided not to tighten regulations regarding
DEET.